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April 21, 2011

Revere Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed by Family of Mental Health Counselor Allegedly Murdered by Patient at Massachusetts Group Home

The parents of the mental health counselor who was allegedly murdered by a patient at the North Suffolk Mental Health Center is suing the clinic and others for her Revere wrongful death. Stephanie Moulton, a 24-year-old Peabody woman, died on January 20. Now, Robert Moulton and Kimberly Flynn are seeking punitive damages from the group home.

According to authorities, Flynn was allegedly killed by Deshawn Chappell, who was her patient, during a counseling session in her office at the Revere facility. He is accused of then dumping her body behind a Lynn church before stealing her car and driving off. Last month, a Suffolk County Superior Court found that the 27-year-old Chelsea resident was not competent to stand trial. He was, however, arraigned for first-degree murder.

In their Revere, Massachusetts wrongful death complaint, Flynn’s parents are claiming that the staff neglected to check Chappell’s history for violence and criminal record. They also contend that the facility did not train staff on how to deal with violent situations and does not let workers conduct criminal background checks to determine whether a patient should be allowed to live in the group home. They also allege that even when staff workers were aware that Chappell was off his meds they were not allowed to take action to fix the problem. Moulton’s parents are also suing Chappell, Dr. Nancy McDonnell, Dr. Donald Goff, the group home ‘s board of directors, and others for her Massachusetts wrongful death.

Group homes, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities can be held liable for violent crimes that occur on their premise that result in serious personal injuries or deaths. It is their responsibility to make sure residents aren’t too dangerous to house in a group setting and that employees don’t have a history of criminal or sexual violence.